Something Better?
by Herochick007
Summary: Athena and Soren are just two eleven year old kids. Her a witch, him a wizard. They've never met before so why does he seem so familiar to her? Reincarnation fic!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters. **

**Trust me if some thing seems confusing, it will be explained later. I promise! Please enjoy Something Better?**

**Word count: 772**

Light. The first things he saw was light. The first thing she felt was pain, hunger, cold. She screamed.

"It's a girl!" Strange words, a strange voice. Warmth, sudden comfort. She closed her eyes letting slumber claim her. "Sleep well, little Athena."

The sounds of the battle raged, explosions rocking the night. A weak cry added to the cacophony.

"Congratulations, he's a healthy boy."

"His eyes?"

"They might lighten up over time, but there is nothing physically wrong with them. Have you decided on a name?"

"Soren, Soren Thomas Smith."

**Eleven years later...**

"Athena, please hurry up. We don't want to be late meeting the Notts." Eleven year old Athena sighed and put down the book she'd been reading.

"Why do we have to shop with them? Penny hates me."

"She does not hate you, Athena. She's just used to getting what she wants, and besides, maybe if you did something besides read you'd make more friends." Athena pouted but followed her mother through the floo.

"Diana, Athena! There you are, we were starting to worry," Mrs. Nott exclaimed.

"Sorry, Athena refused to put down the book she was reading."

"Gringotts and then Ollivanders?"

"Perfect. Girls keep close." As their mothers walked down the street, Penny elbowed Athena hard.

"Sorry," she smirked.

"You're not." Penny smiled a twisted looking smile.

"Just because my family fell from grace, shouldn't mean we have to associate with yours. There are other ways you know. My mother just feels sorry for yours, all alone." Athena looked at the ground. She didn't even notice when their parents stopped.

"Come along, Athena." Athena hated Gringotts and all it stood for. She and her mum weren't rich, but their name still meant something among the wizarding world. Her father hadn't left them much. Athena didn't even remember him, not really. He'd been killed a few months after she'd been born. He'd been part of the Death Eaters, or so her mum claimed.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Penny yelled shoving someone into Athena. They both tumbled to the ground.

"Athena!" She was already climbing to her feet, same as the boy Penny had shoved against her.

"Soren?"A voice asked from the crowd Athena's honey eyes met Soren's dark ones. She blinked a few times. She blinked a few times and slowly tore her eyes away.

"Do I...?"

"Have we...?" They asked at the same time. They stared at each other for a another moment.

"I'm Athena."

"Soren." Athena couldn't shake the strange feeling she knew Soren, even though she was certain she'd never met him before today.

"Soren, we've got to get going," a woman's voice called.

"Bye," Soren whispered joining the woman. Athena figured she was his mum, they looked sort of alike.

"Who was that," her own mum asked.

"His name is Soren."

"I've never heard that name before. They must not be part of our circle," Penny's mum stated giving Penny a look. Athena sighed. Everyone knew the Nott family remained pure, and she knew she was expected to do the same in her own family. Mrs. Nott knew everyone in the wizarding world, and if she didn't know Soren, did that mean he wasn't a pure-blood?

"Dragonheart string core, vine wood, nine inches," the man at Ollivanders announced handing Athena another wand. This time, a slow warmth filled her. A faint sense of deja vu struck her, but then vanished. Penny also got her wand, but Athena didn't find it nearly as interesting as her own. It felt right in her hand, and for some reason, she didn't want to put it away.

"Do think I should get an owl, Athena?"

"No thanks, mum. The school has owls I can use," she answered as they continued shopping. Penny was whining for something, but Athena tuned her out. She couldn't get Soren out of her mind. His dark hair, dark eyes, there was just something about him. Why did she feel as though they'd met before. That was impossible, wasn't it?

"You're quiet this evening, Athena," her mum commented once they were home.

"Just overwhelmed, mum. I mean school starts in a few days."

"And you'll do fine, Athena. Slytherin will be proud to have you."

"What if I'm not in Slytherin?" Diana laughed.

"Don't be silly, Athena! You're a Warrington, of course you'll be in Slytherin. Oh, I bought you something special for your first day. Just wait until you see it!" Athena sighed. All this pressure, and then on top of things, Soren. Where did he fit into all this? And why the bloody hell couldn't she stop thinking about him?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I still don't own anything you recognize. **

**Word count: 1170**

Athena watched the crowd flow around her. Witches and wizards, some she recognized.

"It is impressive, isn't it?" She turned.

"Soren! I thought I had imagined you."

"Who is that?" a disgusted sounding voice asked. Athena sighed.

"Penny, this is Soren." Penny looked Soren up and down, her nose wrinkling slightly.

"What's your surname?" she demanded. "I'm a Nott, Athena is a Warrington."

"Um, Smith, I'm Soren Thomas Smith," Soren answered after a moment. Penny snorted grabbing Athena's arm.

"Come on, we wouldn't want to associate with the likes of him. He's probably not even a half-blood," she muttered. Athena yanked her arm from Penny.

"I think I'll figure out on my own who I want to associate with, Penny." She made her way back to where Soren had been standing, but he was gone. With a sigh, she boarded the train and found herself sitting in a compartment alone.

"Stupid Penny," she muttered. She'd nearly made a friend, nearly maybe figured out something about Soren, about why he was so familiar, but no, stupid Penny and her pure-blood obsession. So what if he wasn't a pure-blood! She sighed pulling out her book and settling in for the long ride. She'd nearly finished her book when the train started to slow.

Athena quickly pulled her robes on and found the surprise from her mum, a Slytherin striped tie and matching hair ribbons. She picked up the note with them.

_Dearest Athena, _

_do our family proud. You will be a wonderful Slytherin._

_Love Mum_

Tears formed in Athena's eyes. So much pressure. She hadn't even made it to school yet and already it seemed like her path was chosen. The train stopped and Athena joined the flow of students.

"Athena!" She paused looking around. A head of dark hair caught her attention.

"Soren!" She ran to catch up to him.

"Still want to be my friend? Your friend didn't seem to like me much."

"Penny? We're not friends, our mums are friends, we are not. I don't care about stuff like blood status like she does."

"Blood status?"

"If your mum and dad were witches or wizards," she answered.

"Oh, neither of mine were magic."

"I kind of figured, I'm a pure-blood just in case you were curious."

"I wasn't, unless it means something to you?" Athena shook her head.

"No, not it doesn't mean anything to me," she whispered finally admitting her opinion on the subject out loud for what seemed like the first time.

"Firs' years, this way!" Athena and Soren joined the small group of students. Doing a quick count, Athena realized there only about twenty first years. She'd heard the population had been dwindling a bit since the war. Her and the other first years were the last group born before it ended.

"There's not many of us, I guess the book was right."

"Which book?' Athena asked.

"A General Overview of Wizarding Britain. I wanted to know as much as possible before I started school. Being the only one with magic in my family, I didn't really have anyone to ask."

"I read something similar somewhere else," Athena stated. "And if you have any questions, feel free to ask me, mum and dad were both magical. I'm sure you're not the only muggle-born student."

` "Look, there's the castle." Athena and Soren watched as their new home came into view. While Athena had seen pictures, she'd never imagined how impressive the real thing would be. Their boat hit the shore of the lake.

"Did you read about the four houses?"

"Yes, I'm hoping for Ravenclaw." Athena nodded. She wanted the same, but until now, she'd never dared to voice her desire.

"Me too, mum keeps saying I belong in Slytherin. My whole family's been in Slytherin."

"I don't think that. You seem... well, not like a Slytherin from what I've read about them." Athena laughed.

"How would you know what a Slytherin is like?" Soren shrugged as they stepped into the castle.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am Professor Flitwick, I am also the deputy headmaster. In a moment you will step through those doors and be sorted into one of our four houses. Please, everyone line up in alphabetical order." Athena stepped to the back of the line. Often she was the last alphabetically.

"At least I'll get to see everyone sorted before I am, I'll know who's going to be in my house," she muttered. She watched the Sorting Hat sing about the four houses. A small knot formed in her stomach when it mentioned Gryffindor. Something about that house unnerved her. Flashes of red and gold, of the faint memory of having to make a choice. She blinked. None of that had happened, at least not yet. Could she be a seer? It was possible, of course. She shuddered. Would she have to make a choice between houses? Why Gryffindor? She was nothing like that, she wasn't brave or loyal. She was scared and worried.

She turned her attention back to the sorting to get her mind off these worries. Penny's name had just been called. She watched Penny walk to the front of the room. The hat had barely touched her head when it screamed "Slytherin!" Penny shot Athena a look of triumph. She shuddered.

A quick glance at the Slytherin table sent a chill down her spine. She recognized a few of the students, knew they all came from the families Penny and her were supposed to associate with, but she didn't want anything to do with most of them. She knew, other than blood-status, she had nothing in common with the majority of them.

"Smith, Soren!" The hat took a moment longer before announcing,

"Ravenclaw!" Athena clapped giving Soren a huge smile. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Athena's name was called. The hat was slid onto her head.

"Interesting, like before, interesting. A brilliant mind, that hasn't changed. Still brave, although you don't see it yet. Hmm." Athena could feel the seconds, the minutes, tick by. The word 'hatstall' caught her ear. Athena remembered the flashes of red and gold. No, she didn't want that. That seemed to smile in her head.

"A different choice, interesting. Very well, then, Ravenclaw!" She heard Soren clapping, could feel Penny glaring. She walked over to the table in a daze. What had the hat meant? Had she had that choice before? She slid into the set next to Soren.

"That was strange," he announced.

"Did the hat seem to know you too?"

"Yes! Like I'd been here, been sorted before."

"Me too! I think the last time, I was in Gryffindor. The hat seemed puzzled when I didn't want that."

"Slytherin, here or Slytherin."

"Does any of this make any sense to you?"

"Not really, no. I know I've never been here before, do you have any ideas?"

"No, I don't either." Athena shook her head. They were both Ravenclaws. Maybe together they could figure it out?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I still don't own anything you recognize. **

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you think!**

**word count: 544**

"Attention students!" Athena and Soren looked up to the head table. A tall witch dressed in maroon robes was speaking.

"As many of you know, I am Headmistress McGonagall. I am in charge here at Hogwarts. Most things do not escape my notice. It would be wise for you to obey the rules or risk punishment. Now, there are a few things I need to remind students of, the first being that the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden. Second, products for Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes are still frowned upon. Third, there is a complete list of forbidden items in Mr. Flich's office for those who would care to read it. Fourth, it is not a challenge to find an item that is not on the list and use to cause mayhem. This year we are welcoming Professor Longbottom. He is replacing Professor Sprout as our herbology teacher. Now, let the feast begin!" Headmistress McGonagall announced as the plates filled.

"House elves," Athena stated.

"They're magical creatures, right?"

"Yes," Athena answered, a vague memory hovering on the tip of her mind. She tried to pull it forward, but it vanished instead.

As she ate, her eyes scanned the Great Hall. One wall had been turned into a memorial for those who had died during the war. A large golden plaque listed their names including the date of death. She knew her father's name wouldn't be up there. He'd been a Death Eater, one the wrong side of the war.

"Want to look at the plaque with me?" Soren asked.

"Why?" Athena questioned. It wasn't like it meant anything to her. She was a Death Eater's daughter.

"I want to see it, it's part of our history. I know I'm not going to know anyone on there, but I feel like I should look at it at least."

"Alright," she answered after a moment. The pair rose and walked over. Several other students were also milling around looking at the memorial. Athena's eyes glanced at the names, one of the suddenly seemed to stand out.

"Hermione Granger," she read softly, the name feeling odd from her lips. She didn't notice Soren had also froze, looking at a name further down the list. _She died on my birthday,_ Athena realized.

"Miss Warrington, Mister Smith, please follow me to our common room," an older student wearing a prefect badge requested pulling them both from their near trances. Athena shook her head, trying to make sense of everything. There was something, something she couldn't quite remember. She wondered if this was what insanity felt like.

"Our common room is this way, to get in one must answer a riddle." They paused. Athena strained to hear the riddle,but someone, one of the older students answered it quickly. They piled into their tower.

"The girls' dorm is to the right, and the boys' to the left. Please do not set the tire on fire," the prefect stated. Athena wondered if that was a common problem. It must be, otherwise, why mention it? She yawned and realized she was more tired than she'd thought.

"I'll talk to you in the morning," she promised Soren. He nodded, a dazed expression still on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.**

**This chapter will start answering some questions...maybe**

**word count: 812**

Athena fell into an uneasy sleep, plagued by strange dreams. She didn't remember any of them when she woke still tired the next morning. She dressed quickly ignoring the gazes of her dormmates. She'd fallen asleep before they'd even had time to learn each others' names.

She caught up with Soren at breakfast. He was already sitting at the table eating a bagel. He looked pale and exhausted. She had a feeling she didn't look much better.

"Nightmares?" she asked sliding into the seat next to him. She grabbed a pastry and took a bite. Maybe the sugar would wake her up some.

"No, just really weird dreams. I was surrounded by strange colored bottles. None of them were labeled, but somehow, I knew what was in each one."

"I don't remember any of my dreams. Did you feel something strange yesterday?" she asked her eyes landing on the memorial wall.

"Yes!" She nodded.

"Me too. One of the names, Hermione Granger... ever heard of her?"

"Yes, I read about her. She was a part of Potter's group, murdered by Bellatrix LeStrange before the final battle."

"No wonder I've never heard of her, wrong side of the war, same as the rest of them. I don't read history books if I can help it."

"Your family sided with..."

"Yeah, dad did at least. He took the Mark, died in the war. I'm sorry if it doesn't make much sense to you. You know, fighting for something like that. It doesn't make much sense to me now."

"It does and it doesn't. So we were both strongly affected by names."

"Who?"

"Severus Snape, I've read about him too."

"He's viewed as a traitor, although, he was an amazing potion master. Why would those names affect us? They both died before we were even born."

"By a few hours actually. Snape died on my birthday."

"The Granger woman on mine... weird."

"Schedules, pass them down," someone announced handing Athena a piece of paper. She took on and passed the stack to Soren.

"Potions with the Hufflepuffs," Soren read.

"I wonder if I'll be any good at it. I've read the book, but there's only so much you can learn from reading."

"Me too. Transfiguration should be fun. The Headmistress used to teach it."

"We have that new professor this afternoon, Herbology with the Slytherins."

"He seems nice enough," Athena commented looking up at the head table.

"I guess so, come on, we don't want to be late for our first class. Potions is in the dungeon?'

"No, classroom 193," Athena read.

"Dungeons would make more sense," Soren grumbled as he followed Athena.

"Good morning, class, please, sit at any table. You do not need to sit with your housemates." A boy with green hair slid into the seat next to Athena. She, of course, was sitting next to Soren.

"I'm Athena," she said after a moment.

"Teddy."

"Soren." Teddy nodded at the introductions. In the front of the classroom, Professor Boot wrote a list of ingredients on the board.

"Now, I'm sure you are all eager to start actually brewing potions, but first we will start by going over the ingredient list in your books. Now, who can tell me about the first ingredient on the board? Yes, Mister.." Professor Boot paused to look at the class roster. "Smith?"

"Wolfsbanes also known as monkshood is a plant with magical properties. It is also poisonous."

"Correct, ten points to Ravenclaw." Soren smiled as someone else answered the next question.

"You know a lot about plants," Teddy whispered.

"Not really, I read the book before class. Athena did the same."

"I tried, but potions seems confusing. There's a lot of extremely precise measurements and so many things to remember."

"It's not as complex as it looks," Soren stated. "I mean, I understood most of what the book was saying." Athena had turned her attention from the boys and focused on Professor Boot. She could tell she was learning, but still, to her, something was missing.

After class, she and Soren headed to transfiguration. She found that subject a bit more interesting and even managed to get her toothpick to turn silvery.

"How'd you do that?" Soren asked staring at the now silver piece of wood. She took his wand hand in hers and moved them both together to try and show him the correct wand movements.

"Here, like this, no, you're swishing your wand too much at the end. There, like that. See!"

"Smith, Warrington, twenty points to Ravenclaw! Miss Thomas, how did you manage to set your toothpick on fire?" Soren and Athena looked over to where Hazel Thomas had managed to set her toothpick on fire.

"At least we didn't do that," Soren stated. Athena giggled and nodded as class was dimissed. They were the only two that didn't earn extra practice as homework.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter**

**thank you everyone for reading, and hopefully reviewing!**

Soren paused at the doorway. He knew it led to the dungeons. He knew students weren't allowed down there. He took a step down the stone staircase.

"Where are you going, Soren? We're going to be late to lunch," Athena asked, suddenly appearing beside him. He stared at her for a moment.

"No where," he said after a second. He shook his head. Something about the stairs, about the dungeons was calling to him. But that made no sense. He had never been here before, had never stepped a foot into the castle before last night. Why would he have an explainable urge to suddenly see the dungeons?

"Alright then, lunch it is,"Athena laughed. Soren followed her, giving the staircase one last look.

Lunch was fairly boring. The food was good, but Athena couldn't help but look at the memorial. She could tell Soren was watching her.

"I still don't understand it," she whispered, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I mean, why do the names of two people who died on our birthdays have any affect on either of us?" she asked.

"Maybe it's all in our heads? I mean, we read so much and I'm sure we've come across the names before, maybe that prior knowledge combined with the overwhelming first night here made us think there was some connection?" he suggested. Athena snorted causing him to laugh.

"And you really believe that, Soren?"

"No. I don't. Think herbology will be fun?"

"No idea? It might be though. Potions was sort of fun."

"It was boring," Soren stated. "And the book was even worse. I mean, it was dull. You'd think a subject where you can create such fantastical things would have more flair to it," he muttered. Athena stared at him for a moment

"Wierd, I was thinking the same thing when Professor Boot was talking. Hey, maybe you'll get really good at potions and you can teach it properly," she joked. Soren blinked before joining in with her laughter.

"Greenhouse One," Soren read from his schedule.

"Guess they're numbered for the different years?" Athena suggested. The pair had left the Great Hall a few minutes early to make sure they didn't get lost on their way to herbology. At least, that's the excuse Athena had given. She didn't want to admit the memorial was creeping her out in a way she couldn't explain. Although she had a feeling with how quickly Soren had agreed, he might have felt something similar.

"Bet all the dangerous stuff's in that one," Soren commented, pointing to a greenhouse with a five painted on it.

"And we shouldn't go any where near it?" Athena teased, doing a fairly good impressing of Professor McGonagall's voice during the start of term speech.

"Exactly, we could get hurt," he added, rolling his dark eyes.

"Or worse, expelled," Athena giggled. "Imagine what our families would say," she laughed acting scandalized. They were both still laughing as they entered Greenhouse One.

"Good morning, have a seat where ever you'd like while we wait for the rest of the class," a voice said. Athena glanced around the greenhouse and quickly picked a table near the middle. Soren followed her.

"This way we can see everything," she stated, pulling out her book. Soren smiled doing the same as they watched the rest of the year one Ravenclaws slowly trickle into the greenhouse.


End file.
